Hard to believe it's been three years since homemade artisanal ice cream experts Jan Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung first opened the doors of Sweet Republic in Scottsdale. We've had smiles on our faces just thinking about their flavorful small-batch ice cream indulgences ever since.

Now, with a 3rd birthday celebration planned from 4 to 7 p.m. this Wednesday, June 8, the two plan to pull out all the (sweet) stops with free ice cream, a toffee banofi-eating contest, and door prizes.

What's the dish on the Sweet Republic swag, how do we enter the toffee banofi-eating contest, and does it feel like three years? Wichayanuparp and Yung give me the scoop.

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LH: Sweet Republic opened in 2008. Does it feel like three years?

SR: The answer changes day to day and sometimes between opening and closing shifts. Sometimes we can hardly believe it's been one year, let alone three. We learn something new each day, whether it's experimenting with different ways to incorporate brown butter so it won't separate from the ice cream during the freezing process or getting feedback from our guests. At other times, it feels like we've been doing this forever.

LH: In addition to the free ice cream (our favorite part), what kind of door prizes will you be giving away this Wednesday?

SR: Lots of Sweet Republic stuff like T-shirts, ball caps, gift certificates, our salty and sweet bacon brittle, homemade almond toffee brittle, and take-home ice cream pints. We will be drawing names during the celebration and you have to be present to win.

LH:Alton Brown is going to feature your toffee banofi sundae, a twist on a traditional English dessert, on an upcoming episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate. How can folks get in on your toffee banofi-eating competition on Wednesday?

SR: We'll be accepting five contestants that sign up on Wendesday before 5 p.m. The contest will start at 5:30 p.m. and each contestant will have to consume an extra large portion of our famous toffee banofi sundae. The catch? No utensils! In addition to bragging rights, the winner will receive a commemorative T-shirt and $50 gift card.

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